ROOT CANAL TREATMENTS

Root Canal Treatment at Oroville Dentistry

Description: A root canal treatment removes a damaged, diseased, or dead nerve tissue and blood vessels from the core and roots of the tooth. Chemicals are used to clean the empty spaces that remain. These spaces are then filled with materials specially designed to inhibit bacteria, thus decreasing the chances of a new infection in the future.

Reasons for getting a Root Canal Treatment: The most common causes of needing a root canal treatment are:

Trauma

Decay that reaches the nerve space in the center of a tooth

A history of numerous dental surgeries, such as fillings and crowns, on a tooth

When the nerves and blood vessels in a tooth are damaged or infected, they will eventually die. Once this occurs, an infection/abscess is soon to follow. These infections are usually very painful, destructive to the jaw bone, and left untreated, can be life threatening.Once the damaged or infected nerve is removed and replaced with antibacterial material, the body's immune system can usually remove what is left of the abscess. Future infections are unlikely unless new decay again extends into the core of the tooth.

What to expect at your appointment: Depending on the characteristics of the case, this procedure may need to be completed at a specialist's office, called an endodontist. Often a treatment of antibiotics (7-10 days) will be completed prior to the root canal treatment. The tooth will be numbed and then the core of the tooth will be accessed. Specially designed instruments and chemicals will be used to clean the root canals and then these spaces are filled with an antibacterial material. The tooth will then be sealed with filling material.Because a portion of the tooth has to be removed to access the core, most root canal treated teeth need to be covered by a crown to stay strong enough to withstand chewing forces.Studies show that most teeth are 4-6 times more likely to break if a crown isn't placed after the root canal treatment. Once covered, a root canal treated tooth can last a very long time as long as it is kept clean enough that new decay doesn't occur.

Click the button below to read about Root Canalsat the American Dental Association website.